Research Tips

Selecting sources to use in an assignment requires careful evaluation. Critical thinkers (you!) must analyze the data retrieved — whether you find it in the physical library, a library database or on the free internet.

See also: How to Evaluate a Wikipedia Article via UC Davis Libraries

Tips for Selecting and Evaluating Sources

• Remember to be aware of your own viewpoints and how they affect your research
• Look for bias on the part of authors or publishers
• Look for alternative viewpoints on your topic: Remember when you gathered background data?
• Be aware of publishing dates: Research in some subject areas goes “stale” faster than others (medical research vs. history research)
• Analyze literature reviews and bibliographies of the sources you select in order to identify key authors and publications debating your topic

More tips to try out on sources: Skimming/Scanning

There is not enough time in the day to closely read and comprehend all of the sources you retrieve during the research process. You can skim the main ideas to get an overall impression of an article. Recall that many scholarly articles follow structural formats and include:

• Abstracts
• Introductions
• Figures and illustrations
• Discussion sections
• Conclusions

By skimming an article and scanning for keywords related to your specific information need, you can make a judgment call about whether you should read the article more thoroughly. Articles, especially those in the science and medical fields, can be dense. Like learning any foreign language, it’s helpful to have subject dictionaries and other reference works nearby when attacking a particularly difficult article.

Adapted from the University of Guelph’s (very helpful) video, How to Read an Article.